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Employees at the Volkswagen factory in Zwickau
Photo: Hendrik Schmidt / dpa
The latest Corona measures have met with criticism, especially in the industry.
The general manager of the employers' association Gesamtmetall, Oliver Zander, named among other things the agreed specifications for more home offices as "unacceptable".
In November, Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) announced that he would refrain from this project.
"Bringing this under the label of fighting pandemic gives the impression that the minister is using the pandemic for party political purposes," said Zander.
Previously, after several hours of negotiations, the federal and state governments had agreed that in future employers must enable their employees to work from home wherever the activities allow.
Stricter mask regulations also apply in public transport and shops: In future, so-called surgical masks or mouth-nose covers with the KN95 / N95 or FFP2 standards must be worn there.
In addition, the transport companies are requested to increase their offer.
In this way, distance rules could be better adhered to, especially at peak times.
"If the way to work is identified as a particular risk, the public sector must increase the range of public transport instead of using an FFP2 mask to distract attention from its own failures," Zander said.
The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) announced that it would "naturally" support the decision.
Nevertheless, VDV President Ingo Wortmann also described the tightened mask requirement as "not necessary".
The managing director of the Allianz pro Schiene interest group, Dirk Flege, emphasized that compliance with the mask requirement must be monitored.
Basically, however, he assessed the requirements positively: "More buses and trains - just like the mask requirement, this increases the safety for all users of public transport," said Flege.
Economists warn of the wave of bankruptcies
The Central Association of German Crafts (ZDH) was also able to gain something positive from the decisions made: "It is important news for many craft businesses and their employees that there will not be a complete economic lockdown for now," said ZDH President Peter Wollseifer with.
Like many others, he continued to demand quick and easy help.
Because in the Corona crisis, companies in many industries are fighting for existence.
The German trade association in particular has repeatedly criticized the fact that promised aid has not yet flowed.
The fashion industry also sounded the alarm again this Tuesday.
After sales losses of up to 45 percent, the lockdown, which has been tightening since November, has hit medium-sized clothing manufacturers hard, said the President of the General Association of the German Textile and Fashion Industry, Ingeborg Neumann, of the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung".
The President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), Gabriel Felbermayr, also warned of a wave of bankruptcies in view of the renewed extended closings.
"The longer the shutdown lasts, the more the companies suffer, the more their reserves are gnawed at, the greater the likelihood that we will see a large wave of insolvencies after the end of the crisis," he told the "Bild".
"The least that has to happen now is that one tries with generous payments on account to keep the companies that are innocently affected afloat."
After massive criticism of the aid, the federal government promised on Tuesday to make improvements quickly.
"Aid will be simpler, more extensive and more targeted," said Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD).
Scholz reached an agreement with Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU).
Altmaier explained: "We will drastically simplify bridging aid III and also add a shovel to the height."
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hej / dpa